Quest for a Rules-Based World Order: An Analysis of India’s Engagement with Multi-Lateral and Mini-Lateral Organizations

India’s active participation in both multilateral and minilateral organizations has significantly shaped its foreign policy and its quest for global influence. India’s approach to multilateralism can be defined by its commitment to sovereignty and noninterference, while simultaneously emphasizing global justice and fairness. At the heart of India’s approach has been the unflinching quest to preserve its strategic autonomy. Ever since independence, India has tried to steer clear of major power rivalries that have undermined multilateral fora. Instead, India has found more strategic value in positioning itself as a spokesperson for the aspirations and concerns of the Global South underscoring the need for greater inclusivity and representation of the Global South in multilateral organizations. This chapter aims to provide a comprehensive overview of India’s engagements with these organizations, highlighting its contributions, challenges, and strategic interests, with a specific focus on the emerging significance of minilateral institutions. It would present a historical perspective showing India’s early involvement in multilateral institutions and its evolving priorities. The slow but gradual transformation in India’s approach from a rule-taker to a rule-shaper in multilateral organizations would be addressed. It would touch upon India’s engagement with major multilateral institutions, including the United Nations, World Trade Organization, International Monetary Fund, and World Bank. India’s active role in UN peacekeeping missions and its initiatives to tackle issues like climate change, sustainable development, and nuclear proliferation poverty alleviation would also be explored. The chapter strives to go beyond traditional multilateral institutions and underlines the emerging significance of minilateral institutions for India. These institutions allow for more focused and efficient cooperation on specific issues. In this particular context, India’s participation in two minilateral groupings: the G20 and the BRICS would be analyzed.